


Healer Heal Thyself

by SteelGrace



Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Chippewa Cession has its own culture, F/F, Fixer Raelle, Raelle being Raelle, Tally and Abigail will mother hen you to death, The Swythe-Bellweather rivalry is dangerous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23596267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteelGrace/pseuds/SteelGrace
Summary: Raelle gives of herself too freely when the people she loves are hurt.
Relationships: Abigail Bellweather & Raelle Collar & Tally Craven, Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Comments: 30
Kudos: 402





	1. Chapter 1

When her mama first taught her to heal, she used herself as the patient. She would slice a hand open with her boot knife and let the blood run for a moment before letting Raelle attempt to heal it. A simple stitching tune in a different pitch to stitch flesh closed.

There was so much blood.

Raelle’s mama always cautioned her about taking on the injuries of others. It didn’t matter that the person you were healing was in pain, you needed to be able to heal others as well and you couldn’t do that if you took yourself out of commission. You had to be able to spread your power over many workings and still be able to defend yourself.

Goddess why was there so much blood.

It was only supposed to be a training exercise. An introduction of how to make a wind strike sharp, piercing power and not just blunt force trauma. Quartermain explained it as shaping it into a drill rather than trying for a spear point.

“Raelle, please what do we do!” Tally’s hands are covered in blood, her forearms coated in bright red.

Once again Abigail and Libba butt heads. Egging each other on trying to be the first to get it down and succeed. Tally was talking to Glory, both trying to figure out the appropriate pitch to add. Raelle had swallowed her pride and asked Quartermain to explain the drill verses spear point. The sudden shrill shriek of a strike followed by Tally’s wail let them know something had gone wrong.

“Abigail!”

Libba looked shocked and afraid. Abigail. Abigail was on the floor bleeding holding her hands to her chest and stomach in shock unable to understand what had happened. Raelle stood frozen watching Tally run to Abigail, as Sgt. Quartermain began to issue orders.

“Raelle!” Tally, that was Tally calling for her. Raelle didn’t blink as she sprinted for her unit falling to knees on the other side of Abigail, laying her hands over Abigail’s.

“Tally, I need you to hold her still you hear me?” asked Raelle getting frantic nods from Tally as she cradled Abigail in her arms.

“Sorry Abigail looks like you’ll have to deal with my hick chants after all.” Joked Raelle as she took a deep breath.

“Ask and it shall be given unto you

Seek and ye shall find

Knock and it shall be opened unto you

The door is open

The way is clear

For everyone that asketh recievith and she that seekith findith and to she that knocks it shall be open

The door is open

The way is clear

A daughter seeks and finds

A daughter knocks to heal

The door is open

The way is clear”

Raelle’s voice took on an echo as the first words poured from her mouth in a low buzzing crackling tone.

“Ask and it shall be given unto you

Seek and ye shall find

Knock and it shall be opened unto you

The door is open

The way is clear

For everyone that asketh recievith and she that seekith findith and to she that knocks it shall be open

The door is open

The way is clear

A daughter seeks and finds

A daughter knocks to heal

The door is open

The way is clear”

Again, she repeats the words building volume as Abigail’s eyes which had shut fluttered open, the bleeding beneath her hands stopping.

“Ask and it shall be given unto you

Seek and ye shall find

Knock and it shall be opened unto you

The door is open

The way is clear

For everyone that asketh recievith and she that seekith findith and to she that knocks it shall be open

The door is open

The way is clear

A daughter seeks and finds

A daughter knocks to heal

The door is open

The way is clear”

With the third repetition she can taste blood in her mouth, and she can feel the flesh of her stomach split open. Tally lays her hands on Raelle’s. Behind Raelle several fixer’s sprint into the room and place hands on her shoulders taking up a counter song to her chant.

“Ask and it shall be given unto you

Seek and ye shall find

Knock and it shall be opened unto you

The door is open

The way is clear

For everyone that asketh recievith and she that seekith findith and to she that knocks it shall be open

The door is open

The way is clear

A daughter seeks and finds

A daughter knocks to heal

The door is open

The way is clear”

As the words breathlessly leave her mouth for the fourth time Raelle lifts her and Tally’s hands from Abigail’s stomach revealing smooth skin flaked with dried blood. She must finish she thought, it wasn’t wise to leave things open ended.

“She who has sought has found

She who has knocked bids farewell

The door closes

The way is clear

A Daughter gives thanks and a Daughter is healed”

She doesn’t have anymore in her than that as the fixers still singing the counter point began to wrestle Raelle onto a stretcher keeping the wound on her stomach from bleeding and the bones (Abigail had apparently been suffering shattered ribs as well) in her chest from shifting. Two second year recruits pick up the stretcher and carry Raelle from the training room. Tally and Abigail following behind ignoring the blood that covers them and clinging to each other.

Quartermain turns once they’ve left the room to the still frozen Libba.

“Swythe!”

\---------------------------------------

The Fixer’s don’t bother telling Tally and Abigail they couldn’t stay, instead they simple direct them to the infirmary showers. They stumbled under the spray of hot water after stripping down huddled together for moment before Abigail shakily reaches out for a bar of soap. Tally gently takes it from her and begins to help her clean the blood off getting a thick lather, ghosting her hands along Abigail’s ribs and stomach to check that she was whole. Tally then soaps herself up before leading them under the hot water, they both pretend not to see the other’s tears.

A second year had come in to exchange their bloody clothes for clean ones, without a word respecting the unit that had its third being worked over in the infirmary. Abigail and Tally dress without words and make their way back, they would not let themselves be turned away this time, their place was with Raelle. Entering the infirmary, they can see three Fixer’s harmonizing over Raelle unconscious form. Near the entrance a group of three second years watch their mentors, whispering.

“She put Bellweather back together solo.” Whispered one second year a little awe leaking into her voice.

“That wasn’t the pain shared is pain halved chant. I’ve never heard that one, is it a Collar family thing?” asked a tanned second year confused.

“Who gives a shit about the chant? Collar did what it should have taken two to three fixers harmonizing to do. Apparently, Bellweather’s guts had to be held in by her unit and parts of her ribs were pulverized.” Whisper the first a little louder.

“But didn’t she fail in saving Cadet Porter? His injuries would have been on the same level, right?” asked the tanned second year again.

The third, silent until that moment finally spoke, “Oaklen, Bridder stow it now and don’t speak about the things you don’t understand.”

“Redmane-“ started Oaklen only to interrupted again by an agitated Redmane.

“No. What you fail to understand was that when they brought in cadets Porter and Collar the condition, they were in told a part of the story that only the people here and up top know.” Redmane stared at the harmonizing fixers running their hands over Raelle’s chest and sides, “Porter was already dead he and Collar just didn’t know it yet. Porter had both lungs pierced by shattered ribs, he was internally bleeding, and his spine was fucked.”

Bridder opened her mouth only to close it quickly at Redmanes glare.

“Now, you probably want to ask, then why didn’t he look that bad when he was brought in? That’s because Collar did heal Porter, there was evidence of his chest being healed and his spine starting to actually realign.” Redmane paused and looked back towards the bed in use, “Collar just didn’t have the time to win the race against the internal injuries. But Sgt. Thistledown spent a solid hour fixing Collar while she was unconscious and praying that the Goddess wouldn’t take her for following death so closely.”

Oaklen and Bridder exchanged long looks with each other. Redmane ignoring them as she caught sight of Tally and Abigail. Gesturing towards the bed across from Collar and the fixers Redmane led Tally and Abigail to sit down as close as they would be allowed to. She watched without comment as Abigail and Tally settled onto the bed as close as they could get to each other. Tally’s arms around Abigail’s waist. Abigail had an arm thrown around Tally’s shoulder and a hand in her lap. Their eyes never left Raelle’s form in the circle of fixers.

“Look, ignore Oaklen and Bridder, they didn’t know a spit of fixen before they came here, and they’re very rigid about fixen outside the lines. They’ll learn or they won’t.” sighed Redmane, dark brown almost black eyes looking at the cadets, “A piece of advice that those of Chippewa Cession learn from the cradle.”

Abigail and Tally’s attention snap to Redmane taking in her six-foot figure, black hair, and tanned skin for the first time.

“Respect the Fixer that gives so freely of themselves without thought. Protect the healer who gives no care to themselves when others are in pain, for they take too much on themselves.” Redmane gives them a firm look and leaves them alone herding Oaklen and Bridder from the room as she goes.

Abigail and Tally press their heads together to stand vigil over Raelle, and when Scylla later bursts into the infirmary with a furious and heart broken look on her face they pull her into their pile and start discussing Raelle and herself sacrificial tendencies. 


	2. I don't have time to be Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle is a little lost.

Raelle floated in a sea of soft golden light. No, thoughts or worries clouded her mind, for the first time in a long time.

“Should she be out this long?” …Tally?

“I don’t know Tal, she was pretty messed up.” Abigail.

“Relax, this is only day two if we get passed day three then you can start to worry.” Who? A flash of tanned hands helping her with makeup the first time, of friendly words and a firm hug. Redmane?

“She’s strong. She’ll wake up.” Soft lips press a kiss just above her brow. Scylla.

“Hey, High Atlantic what’s the word on the would be killer, Swythe was it?” Scylla? Where is everyone?

“It’s all politics right now, My Mother is trying bring the hammer down, and Swythe’s is trying to pull in every favor to mitigate and bury this shit show.” Don’t sound so frustrated Abigail.

“I think Swythe is about to find out that her influence is rapidly dwindling. Sgt. Quartermain is breathing fire at the investigative board dragging their feet on this. But Swythe will probably only be punished for her actions harming you.” Ah, Redmane your gonna disillusion Tally, just cause we know people don’t give a shit about Cession trash.

“Doesn’t matter if the higher ups won’t do anything. We’ll make sure Swythe takes in the depths of her mistake.” Scylla, you are unfairly hot when your plotting vengeance.

“Come on you lot Collar isn’t awake to nip at your asses to take care yourselves, so I’ll do it for her. Go Eat. Take a run. Have a shower and then come back. But I don’t want you guys here for at least two hours. Get gone.” Seriously? Go eat and shower people.

Grumbling sounded for a few moments before Raelle felt one, two, and then a lingering third kiss placed on her brow.

“Wake up soon kid your girls are driving me nuts, though the vengeance plots are entertaining.” Working on it Redmane, working on it.

Right, now how do you open your eyes again?

Raelle tried to move, but it was as if she couldn’t feel her body. She couldn’t feel the bed she must be lying on, couldn’t feel her toes or fingers.

“You gonna lay about all day baby girl.” Asked a softly amused drawl.

“Mama?” asked Raelle eyes shooting open, taking in the blur of gold haloed around the strawberry blonde hair and familiar blue eyes of her mother. A smirk pulled at her lips and she was standing over Raelle wearing a flower blue sundress, contrasting the battle braids in her hair.

“Well?” a raised brow so reminiscent of when she was a child and didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning.

“Do I get chocolate chip pancakes if I get up?” joked Raelle a little sadly.

“Mmmh Maybe, it could be arranged.” Encouraged her Mama reaching down to grip her forearm and haul her to her feet.

Raelle frowned a little when she realized she still had to look up at her mama, then her attention wondered to the faded black curling tattoos crawling up her arms. Looking down she took in the tan linen pants and the almost blinding white sleeveless tunic she was wearing.

“I really don’t have time to be dead right now mama. I got three girls I gotta stop from killin somebody.” Raelle commented taking in the golden expanse that surrounded them.

“Yer not dead baby girl. You’re just a little lost.” Her mama cupped her face between callused palms and leaned their foreheads together. Raelle closed her eyes to cut off the tears and enjoy the feeling of being so close to her mama again. 

“I have to go back to my girls ma, I can’t stay.” Whispered Raelle.

Her mama kissed her forehead and stepped back letting go of her face, “You do need go back, and I’m gonna help you with that. First your gonna need something to help you if you’re insisting on leapin afore you look.” Admonished Willa.

Raelle felt her ears heat up, okay so maybe she’d been a little reckless, but she was working on it, “Mama!”

Willa raised an eyebrow, that look that always said you know what you did. Raelle shuffled her bare feet and then held still as her mama reach for the chain around her neck. On the silver chain hung an inch-long rod of ruby carved in a spiral. Willa placed the necklace on her daughter. She studied Raelle for a moment a small sad smile full of pride.

“Remember baby girl fightin a fixer stupid because we’re the ones who put people together again, and we can damn well take them apart. Now, I don’t wanna be seeing you anytime soon darling, that’s an order from your mama.” So, spoken Willa stepped back a flare of light blinding Raelle.

Blue eyes blink open to stare at a whitewashed ceiling. Slowly sitting up Raelle propped herself up against the backboard of the infirmary bed. Sunset colors poured into the room via an open window a cool breeze rustling the curtains.

“Raelle!” the ringing of three simultaneous cries of her name shocking her for a moment. Stunned she was unprepared for the brief glimpse she got of Scylla before she was practically crawling in to lap kissing her, hands cupping face. Two bodies cuddled up on either side of her, a face shoved into her neck full of tears by the feeling of it, and a voice in her other ear promising hell training and vengeance on her behalf.

Ripping herself away from the kiss so she could breath she took in the view of Scylla, Tally, and Abigail, and relaxed. Her witches where all here and they where okay, everything else could wait she thought as Scylla pulled her in for a softer kiss.


	3. Soft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know their gonna sit on you right?" Quote Rory Redmane.

Raelle slowly relaxed against the stack of pillows propping her up in the infirmary bed, ribs still tender. Her witches were filling her in on the two days she had missed, their words slipping from her attention every time one of them subconsciously touched her, and there was a lot of touching.

“Quartermaine had Swythe in a holding cell within seconds of us being taken out of the gym.” Reported Abigail as she had a hand firmly wrapped around Raelle’s knee sitting to her left.

“An investigative board was thrown together within a couple hours of … well everything.” Tally babbled sprawled across the bottom of the bed an arm slung over Raelle’s calves.

“We’ve been convinced to wait until the board is finished and any punishments handed out before enacting our own, justice over the assault.” Scylla’s face was turned into Raelle’s neck as she cuddled up on Raelle’s right side careful not to jostle her ribs.

Raelle turned her head pressing her lips into Scylla’s hair just listening. Taking in the voices of the people who had become so important to her in such a short time. She glanced up as her witches continued locking eyes with Redmane who was leaning on the bed across from them with arms crossed looking over the pile of witches. Sky blues locked onto earthen brown.

 _Thank You._ Blues eyes conveyed.

 _Anytime. But try not to be here again._ Brown replied.

 _No promises._ Blue eyes drifted shut as voices slowly trailed off. Abigail rubbed slow circles on Raelle’s knee, Scylla quietly starts humming low and slow against her throat, and Tally continues to talk slower lowering her volume as she did. Scylla gently changed Raelle’s position into a more comfortable recline, still humming as she moved the slack arms from around her.

Each girl carefully got up from the bed and joined Redmane opposite the sleeping blonde.

“Could you watch her while we arrange things and get our stuff.” Scylla asked still turned mostly in Raelle’s direction.

Redmane huffed a laugh, “Yah I’ll look after her while you get your things. I’m assuming y’all are movin in for the time bein?”

The three “duh” looks needed no words and only a flapped hand in their direction to chivy them along. She watched them slowly leave the infirmary reluctant to have Raelle out of easy eyesight. The door clicked shut at the end of the long room and Redmane released the breath she’d been holding.

“Your girls are utterly exhausting brat, why is it that the troubling ones always think your catnip.” Groused Redmane as she turned back to Raelle.

“Please what would I do without trouble?” Raelle’s popped open and she straightened into a more upright position.

“You know you’re not getting away with nothin for a long while righ?” Redmane smirked.

“Don’t be a pain Rory.” grimaced Raelle. She pouted slightly as her ribs twinge angrily at her for trying to sit up too straight. Redmane clicks her tongue and strides forward placing a hand on Raelle’s ribs and trilling sweetly numbing her ribs.

Raelle sighs in relief, “Thanks I’m still too drained to do much righ now.”

“Well, at least you have some common sense though the Goddess knowns where you put it when its not in use.” Grumbled Redmane as she drew her hand back and sat on the bed, “You need to stop running so close to the edge brat. I won’t ask you to stop altogether, but I think your girls will put a leash on you if you end up in here one more time.”

Raelle’s eyes fell to hands turning them over so she could see her palms a slight tremble in her fingers as she blinked the red coating them away leaving callused but clean hands behind. “I really am in too deep Rory.”

Redmane watched Raelle calmly, “Not sure what to do now that they’ve hooked themselves into your heart and made themselves at home now are you?”

The laughter that poured out was tinged in hysteria, “I love them, and it terrifies me. How am I supposed to protect them?”

A strong tanned hand covered hers lacing their finger together, “By asking for help and accepting it. You are not the lone oak tryin to stand as the forest.”

The hand gave a squeeze before Redmane stood up help Raelle lean back against the pillows again. Accepting the help Raelle stopped fighting the heavy pull of exhaustion eyelids fluttering shut and breathing deepening.

Redmane watch her for a moment before looking up at the sound of the door opening revealing Raelle’s girls with bags slung over their arms. Tally carrying an herb pot tied in sky blue ribbon. Abigail had a familiar quilt over her shoulder. Scylla cradled several books under her arms.

Shaking her head Redmane moved to help them take over the infirmary, resistance was obviously futile.


End file.
